


Danse Macabre

by ChickenXD



Category: Hatoful Kareshi | Hatoful Boyfriend
Genre: M/M, Mental Health Issues, Murder, Serial Killers, a lot of it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-03
Updated: 2016-03-19
Packaged: 2018-05-24 11:12:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6151822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChickenXD/pseuds/ChickenXD
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hannibal AU...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

A man was lying on the bed, facing up, peacefully asleep. The clean thick blanket covered his body, up to his shoulder. 

The room was dark and cold – the smell of rust and cheap perfume lingered in the air. The curtains were drawn, so that no light could enter from outside. 

A pool of blood stained the sheets, splotches of red absorbed into the white cloth, saturated, and dripping onto the carpet.  

 

It was red all throughout the room. 

The traces of blood on the carpet, on the walls. 

 

“The body was reported to the police a few hours ago, but this corpse looks like it’s been left for days.”

Isa Souma walked into the room, looking at the corpse on the bed. 

“...can I open this?”

“We’ve taken pictures, so yes.”

Isa grabbed the blanket by the corner and flipped it over – 

 

The body had been cut up into pieces – the head had been cut off from the neck, the arms and legs disconnected from the torso, which had been cut open and messily sewn back. Not even with surgical sutures – it looked like some sort of red yarn. The other side of blanket was bright red, soaked with blood. There was a wide stab wound on the chest – the blood around it had dried and turned black.

The stench of rot immediately filled the air, as if he’d just opened the Pandora box. The room was cold before, but it felt like it’d dropped a few degrees in temperature.

The man was still asleep, lying on his back. 

Isa carefully moved his arm out of the way and got onto the bed. He tugged on the wet red yarn that was holding the corpse’s torso together – he was able to pull it off fairly easily, the strings sliding past the holes in his body like opening the ribbons of a present box...

 

“The heart is missing.”

~•~

“Are you okay, Isa?”

“I’m fine.”

 

He could see himself walking into the house, a knife in hand.  

 

It was a nicely decorated house. All the rooms faintly smelt of flowers and spices – cloves, perhaps. 

The walls were covered in pink pastel wallpapers, with patterns of flowers on them. Looks almost like the interior of a cottage in a peaceful village somewhere – 

The rooms were dark and cold – slightly colder than it was outside. He could faintly hear the rustle of the leaves – the wind was somewhat strong that night – but they ceased after a few minutes.

 

Isa wanted to put him to sleep. Doesn’t want his body to be found, if possible, forever.

Something must’ve happened so that this person doesn’t deserve to live, doesn’t even deserve to keep his heart. 

And then seal his body back with those messy yarn, as if he could live again, without his heart. 

 

Somewhere, perhaps, the heart is still beating, 

Waiting to be found.

 

_ “It was a low, dull, quick sound --much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton.” _

Tohri turned to Isa, surprised. 

“What are you talking about now, Isa?”

“The Tell-Tale Heart,” Isa replied, “Edgar Allan Poe…

“An absurd story, indeed, considering that since the heart has been disconnected from the body, it shouldn’t be able to beat, and even if it does beat – even now, we can’t hear our own heart beating, or anyone else’s, unless we put a stethoscope to it.

“Perhaps it’s his conscience that allows him to hear it.”

Isa was staring intently at the wall in front of him – 

 

The blood stained blue walls, where the corpse was discovered. 

There was perhaps a struggle, or else the blood wouldn’t have gotten there. Could’ve been slightly cleaner about that…

Isa looked down at his bloodied hands, where he was holding a knife.

 

“Does any part of the house have any wooden flooring?”

“No,” Tohri replied, handing a towel to Isa – who didn’t take it. “All ceramic tiles, no basement.”

“The heart must be buried somewhere,” Isa replied, “Even if it’s just in the ground…”

 

Perhaps the murderer had been disappointed he couldn’t do it better – could’ve left less evidence to be discovered. 

Isa climbed onto the bed, a knife in hand. The man was looking at him, in shock – reached out to grab him by the arm, trying to knock him off. 

He fell off, with the man trying to keep pushing him down. 

“Who the hell are you?”

The man was strong, but not as strong as Isa – he kicked the man back against the wall, and planted the knife into his heart. 

The man let out a shriek as his blood splattered on the wall. He tried pushing Isa back again, but the force from his arms gradually weakened as his heart stopped, and he fell to the ground. 

Not yet dead, but with the amount of blood that was going out of that wound, he died in a mere few minutes. 

The blood had left a messy trail on the walls and carpet, and gotten on parts of the sheets.

Isa slowly lifted him to the bed, placing his head ever so gently on the pillow, as if he was asleep. His face was still twisted from him struggling, so he gently relaxed it, so it looked as if he was just having a peaceful night’s sleep.

He raised the knife once again, stabbing it on his stomach and slicing it horizontally, letting the guys spill out. He proceeded to open the body, cutting up vertically towards his chest. 

Blood poured out, splashing onto his shirt, his face – but he pressed on, cutting all the way to the ribcage. He pulled out the liver – slightly difficult, with all the blood vessels connecting to it, so he cut them all off and placed it on the side. 

He reached from under, grabbing the heart, and pulling it out. He cut off a few blood vessels that was still connected to it, and then squeezed hard as he pulled it out – 

 

“Why did the killer sew the body back? It wouldn’t hide anything.”

“Isa,” Tohri sighed, “Don’t push yourself.”

“Maybe it’s like a gift,” Isa said, “Waiting for someone to find and open it.”

Tohri sighed, “You wouldn’t give someone a dead body.”

“The heart is missing, isn’t it?” 

“You said it might be buried somewhere.”

“Maybe this killer just wants to prove this man is dead,” Isa said, “That’s why he took out the heart, because you can’t live without one…

_ “I placed my hand upon the heart and held it there many minutes. There was no pulsation. He was stone dead.” _

 

And yet he felt nothing, upon sitting in front of the dead man like this.

He’s dead – nothing more, nothing less. No feelings of hatred, joy, or disgust – just another dead body.

If anything, he felt a bit cold.

 

Isa continued staring at the wall without saying a word. 

“Isa,” Tohri sighed, “Your hand’s like, covered in blood from pulling out the string. It’s gross. Go shower.”

“...okay.”

Isa slowly got up, wobbling a little, and took the towel Tohri had handed him earlier – he heard Tohri sigh, and realized that he’d gotten some blood on it. 

“...sorry.”

“It’s alright, just use the other side,” Tohri sighed, walking away, “Try washing the blood off more thoroughly this time. The last time you handled blood, you smelt like rotten meat for a week.”

 

It was silent then.

Isa finished cutting off the arms and legs from the torso, and had carefully folded the intestines back in. He stabbed a few small holes around the big slash wound across the body, putting a red yarn through each one of them – as if sewing the torn body of a doll. 

The yarn grew wetter and wetter as he pulled it through the bloody holes, but not that it mattered – it was red to start with anyway.

He got off the bed and placed the heart he’d plucked out on the bloodied carpet before taking off his gloves. He took a fresh blanket from the wardrobe, and covered the body with it. 

Save for the blood on the walls and carpet, the man seemed to be peacefully asleep. Nobody will suspect anything for now.

He took the heart on the floor, and left the room...

It felt colder and darker compared to when he came in.

  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

“Isa Souma?”

A blue haired man stood by the door, holding it open. His lips curled into a friendly smile on his face, and his red eyes seemed bright as well. He was sharply dressed, wearing a maroon shirt and a black vest. 

“That would be me,” Isa replied as he stood up. The man walked towards him, shaking his hand firmly. 

“My name is Kawara Ryuuji! Nice to meet you!”

“...nice to meet you.”

Ryuuji turned his attention to Tohri, who was standing just next to Isa, “And you must be Dr. Nishikikouji! Hello there!”

“Nice to meet you, doctor,” Tohri greeted with a smile. “I never thought we’d meet again.”

 

Ryuuji’s office was spacious and luxurious – there walls were lined with bookshelves, most of them filled. There were a few paintings hanging on the wall – impressionist pictures, most of them of nature. 

A dark forest, perhaps at night – all the leaves of the trees had fallen off, and the full moon ominously hung in the black sky…

A picture of the sea during sunset – the sky was painted in golden and pink, and a hint of purple just at the edge of the sea. The sun was slowly setting towards the sea’s surface, but the moon was peeking just at the corner.

Ryuuji’s desk was strategically placed in the middle of the room – a big oak table with some books on it, and a paperweight shaped like a rock. Maybe it is indeed a rock repurposed as a paperweight.

 

“Would you like some candy?”

Ryuuji handed a jar of candy to Isa – it had various types of candy; marshmallows, caramels, chocolate candies – but Isa shook his head. 

“Thank you.”

 

“I’ve heard many interesting things about you, Isa!”

Tohri sat down in front of the desk, while Isa started walking around, examining the books in the shelves. There were a lot of literature books – French, German, and English. 

Ryuuji was standing behind him, watching closely. 

“...what kind of things?”

“Tohri told me you have some interesting… abilities,” Ryuuji said, turning to glance at Tohri – “Great imagination and empathy, that is.”

“He’s exaggerating,” Isa said, pulling out a book from the shelves – “I’m about as normal as everyone else.”

_ The Divine Comedy _ . 

Depictions of death – hell, where all evil resides; purgatory, where your sins are cleansed – 

And supposedly, heaven, where those who are good will live forever.

 

“You can borrow that book if you want!”

Isa nodded as he put the book back into the gap he pulled it out from. 

“Thanks for the offer, but I’ve read it before,” Isa said, “I think I read it when I was in fourth grade.”

“Makes me wonder what kind of childhood you had,” Ryuuji said, placing his hand on Isa’s shoulder. Isa turned to look up to Ryuuji, before he turned to walk towards the desk. 

“I have a simple task for you, Isa!” Ryuuji said as he followed Isa to the desk – he tore a sheet of paper off his notebook, and handed it to Isa. “Can you draw me a clock?”

Isa took the paper without a word, took out a pen and drew a circle. 

Twelve at the middle top, and then followed by one, two, three, all the way around the circle until it reaches twelve again.

Isa finished the drawing with the long hand at eleven, and the short hand at two. He could remember the time being two forty-five when he and Tohri walked in, so it’s perhaps a reasonable prediction.

“There you go.”

He handed it over to Ryuuji – 

 

“Very interesting.”

Ryuuji looked at the drawing Isa had handed him earlier – 

Number twelve was sitting at the top, followed by the rest of the numbers all bunched up on the right. The arms were pointing at eleven and two, but they didn’t originate from the centre either.

“I don’t think it would make any difference if you treat him, though,” Ryuuji said, placing the paper on the table. “So what brings you here?”

Isa had been asked to leave the room now – only Tohri was sitting there, looking at the paintings around the room.

“It’s my boss,” Tohri replied, “Isa’s uncle. He told me to get second opinions.”

“So he’s my patient now,” Ryuuji concluded – Tohri looked like he was about to protest, but only sighed. 

“I’m not seeing any part of his special ability, though.”

“Because this isn’t a crime scene,” Tohri replied, “When he’s in a crime scene, he gets really absorbed and imagines himself as the killer. I’m afraid it’s not going to have a very positive impact on his mental health, but my boss insists on having him in the squad.”

“I mean, it certainly seems helpful for investigations,” Ryuuji said, “The means justify the end, right?”

“That much is true, but…” 

Tohri sighed as he looked away. 

“I don’t want him to… you know, have it bad enough that he has to be institutionalized or anything.”

Ryuuji nodded as he opened a pack of caramel and popped it into his mouth, “I see where you’re coming from.

“Either way, I’ll have to observe him a little more before I can decide on what to do.”

 

_ He was standing by the sea.  _

_ The water was high that night, reaching up to his knees – the water was cold, and he could feel the rough sand under his foot,  _

_ slowly, _

_ sinking in. _

 

_ The sky was clear, and the wind was cold, blowing towards the sea.  _

_ The full moon hung in the sky, with stars scattered all over the sky, like small cracks in a window.  _

_ He could faintly hear the caws of the seagulls, mixed with the gentle breeze of the wind, the soft lapping of the waves –  _

_ For some reason, it started to feel warm. Perhaps his body temperature was slowly getting down, to be the same with the sea.  _

_ He slowly walked deeper, feeling the warm water rising up his legs.  _

_ Perhaps it wasn’t just him walking towards the deeper part of the sea – but also the water slowly rising, slowly taking him in,  _

_ becoming one with the water.  _

 

_ Maybe that isn’t such a bad idea.  _

_ Like foam bubbles floating on the sea, _

_ Beautiful, yet transient, fragile. _

_ When they burst, it is no more.  _

 

“Isa?”

 

_ Felt like being pulled out of the water suddenly. _

 

Ryuuji was standing in front of him now, his red eyes looking at Isa – 

Isa couldn’t quite read anything there. 

No expression of happiness nor concern. It felt like staring at a blank canvas…

No, not a blank canvas. 

Isa couldn’t quite tell then.

 

“...are you done talking with Tohri?”

“I am!” Ryuuji replied with a smile, and Isa could spot Tohri walking out of the room – “We’ll meet again soon, alright?”

“Do I need to prepare anything for our meeting?” Isa asked, “Maybe practice drawing the Big Ben?”

“That’s not necessary, but if you feel like it, sure!” 

~•~

“There you are, Isa.”

 

A corpse was laid in the middle of the grassfield. 

Its body had been cut open as well, but unlike the previous one, there was no attempt at all to sew it back. 

The intestines had been pried out and left messily on the stomach – as if someone had pried it apart just to find something among the mess. The liver and heart had been plucked out, leaving the bloody body tissues to rot – no maggots yet, but they will probably appear soon. The whole area, surprisingly, didn’t stink – perhaps stench has been carried away by the wind. 

The body was laid on a rock, and impaled onto the ground with a wooden rod around its stomach. 

The eyes were blankly looking up to the sky – a stake was placed in the forehead, still dripping fresh blood onto the ground. 

 

“Someone reported the body a few hours ago. Seems like this place is usually used as a camping ground.”

Isa looked around at the grass – aside from the blood on the corpse and around it, there was no other trail. 

“Brought up here and killed, I see.”

Ichijou Mino walked towards Isa, watching as Isa grabbed the stick impaling the corpse and pulled it out – it was a spear, bloodied around the tip. 

“This was just put here to keep the corpse from moving,” Isa remarked, “Not nearly enough to kill. The stake at the forehead must be the cause of death…”

 

_ Taking someone to a deserted forest and then killing them with consent?  _

_ Perhaps they were tricked. Told them something like, let’s go to the forest and have a picnic, but the victim is killed instead… _

 

_ In that case, there must’ve been two people working.  _

_ One to trick the victim out here, and the other to kill.  _

 

“And the body is a present.”

Isa turned to Mino as he stabbed the spear back in. 

He looked up at the sky, where a few birds have gathered, ominously circling around the area. Perhaps they were able to smell the corpse, and had come here for a feast.

“Then why take away the organs?”

 

A dark, silent night. 

The air was cold, and the wind blew every once in a while, causing the leaves in the trees to rustle, the reeds to sway. 

If the nocturnal animals were awake at this point, they were certainly being very discreet, if not even Isa could hear them at all.

 

Isa knelt down, waiting behind a tree. 

He tried being as quiet as possible, save for his breathing. Even that, he tried to make it as soft as possible. 

He was watching the clearing in the woods – like a predator, waiting for a prey. 

Has to be discreet – can’t scare them away before they get into the hunting ground.

He stood as still as he could – even if he moved just an inch, his steps would cause the grass to rustle, and the entire plan would fall to pieces.

 

Two people walked past, merrily chatting. The night was dark – dark enough to hide Isa in the shadows. 

And then they suddenly stopped walking – the leaves stop rustling. 

Isa could still hear them talking, but he couldn’t care less about what they were talking about. 

He got out of the shadows, gripping the stake tightly, grabbing one of those people and stabbing their forehead. 

They didn’t even have time to scream or struggle. The stake sunk into their brains, and they fell – Isa grabbed him before he hit the ground, and slowly dragged the body towards the rock.

Laid the body there, like it was an altar, and the body was a sacrifice.

Isa took out a knife and raised it in the air, before – 

 

“Isa?”

He could feel a hand on his shoulder – 

 

And the night faded away, replaced with the blue skies, with the cries of the birds in the air, the rustling of the grass, the chattering of the other officers. 

 

“Let’s go back to the station,” Mino said, “They’ve identified the corpse.”


	3. Chapter 3

Isa found himself lying on a bed.

The room was cold and dark – there was a bit of light coming in through the windows. The full moon was out today.

Isa tried lifting his hand up, but found that he was unable to. He wasn’t quite sure why – it just felt strangely heavy, as if it had been tied down to the bed.

_Well, then._

Something felt rather strange about the room – it looked like a normal bedroom, ceiling and walls and all, but he could smell the earth, could smell something like mud or woods, like it had just rained.

He noticed now too, that the room had no doors. Or perhaps it was just too dark to see.

_How did I get in here, then?_

Like a cube that was constructed around him, perhaps.

 

Suddenly he heard, faintly amongst the silent – the rustle of leaves.

Like someone was walking through a pile of dead leaves, towards him.

But then it fell silent once again.

 

“Isa Souma.”

The voice startled him – it sounded so close, as if the person saying it was lying down right next to him on the bed –

 

And indeed, lying next to him, was a young man – 

His lower body had been sliced open, and messily sewn back on with a red yarn. Some blood was still dripping from his body, onto the bed.

He was smiling, as alive as ever – as he reached out his hand, cold, bony fingers touching Isa’s cheek, sending a wave of panic across his body.

Isa wanted to move away, but his body felt like it had been glued to the bed, unable to move.

“Come join in the fun.”

  


“Isa?”

Isa woke up with a start.

His head was throbbing painfully, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat – at least his body felt normal, and he could move his arms freely.

Everything in the apartment looked normal – the curtains were closed, the cats were mostly still sleeping, or those who had woken up were busy playing with yarn or… one of them was chewing the edge of his blanket. Isa picked her up gently, petting her head – 

The cat’s fur felt soft, and its body felt warm, slightly rising and falling. The cat nuzzled its head against Isa’s face, before hopping off and running to the kitchen.

_Just a dream._

Whether that is good news or not, Isa couldn’t quite tell anymore.

 

He then heard someone knocking on the door, and got up to open the door.

 

“Good morning, Isa!”

Ryuuji was standing outside, holding a box and a newspaper in his hand. He was dressed as elegantly as yesterday – he was wearing a navy three piece suit, with a white shirt inside and a purple silk tie.

On the other hand, Isa was still wearing the shirt and jeans from yesterday, and his hair was a mess, as it always is in the morning. He put on his glasses as two of his cats walked to him, upon noticing that a guest had arrived, and stood by his feet.

“...what are you doing here?”

“Just thought I’d come for a visit!” Ryuuji replied as Isa took the newspaper from his hands.

“How did you find this address?”

“It’s on your patient documents, of course!”

“Go away,” Isa said as he turned around to get back into his apartment, “I need to go to work.”

“I’m sure your uncle won’t mind you coming late every once in a while,” Ryuuji said while lifting the box – “I brought us breakfast, too! Do you like muffins?”

 

Isa’s apartment was… messy, but certainly not too bad.

Everything was actually placed in order, but Isa must be one of those people who suck at returning things to where they come from. Or perhaps it’s the cats.

“How many cats do you have?”

“I don’t know, I lost count after fifteen,” Isa replied as he poured some water into the kettle. “You want tea?”

“Yes, please.”

The apartment had almost no decorations – the brown walls were plain, and there was just a clock hung near the window. There was a red blanket on the sofa – Isa probably had slept there the previous night.

There was a bookshelf in the corner of the living room, filled with some thick books, and a picture frame was sitting on top. Ryuuji walked over and took it –

It was a picture of Isa and his parents, sitting on a bench in a park. Isa looked significantly younger – about fifteen years old, Ryuuji would guess.

 

“Where are your parents now?”

“Home, of course,” Isa replied – “I think that’s the latest picture I have of them before I moved here.”

“I heard from Tohri that you moved here with your uncle to go to university?”

“More like my parents made me move, but yes, pretty much.”

Ryuuji put down the box on the table and opened it – there were various types of muffins inside. There was one with chocolate chips, a few with blueberries, and some bran ones. Isa took the blueberry one, unwrapping the paper before taking a bite.

“So why are you here?” Isa asked, “I thought psychiatrists don’t visit their patients.”

“I just want to observe your behaviour,” Ryuuji replied, “I mean… clearly, we don’t know each other that well yet, but I’d like to get closer to you.”

“What for?”

Ryuuji gave a big smile,

“Professional interest.”

Isa looked at him for a while, puzzled, before he sighed and looked away.

“...whatever.”

 

One of the cats entered the kitchen – it was black, and quite fluffy.

It immediately noticed Ryuuji in the room, and walked to him. Ryuuji only watched as the cat looked up to him –

“What’s his name?”

“Which one?” Isa turned to glance at the cat, “That’s Noir.”

The kettle automatically turned off a few minutes later, so Isa poured some water into two mugs and placed a bag of tea in each. He handed one to Ryuuji before sitting down to enjoy his own.

 

“So what do you think of the recent murders?”

“What about them?” Isa asked, “Did Tohri tell you anything?”

“Well, he did tell me they are quite brutal,” Ryuuji said, “One of them was sliced up and sewn back, and the other one was impaled on a rock.”

Isa remained silent as he sipped some of his tea.

“Does it bother you?” Ryuuji asked, “I mean, you are asked to put yourself in the mind of the killer, to try to imagine what they were thinking.”

“We’ve all thought about killing someone,” Isa replied, “I just happen be paid to do it because nobody wants to.”

 

Isa finished eating his muffin, so he walked over to the trashcan and threw it away. Ryuuji continued to observe him quietly while sipping his tea –

He suddenly got up, walking towards Isa without a word.

“I’m going to shower, then go to work,” Isa said – Ryuuji kept walking to him, until he was just inches behind Isa –

He leaned over, so that his face was right next to Isa’s ear, and inhaled slowly. Isa only stood still as Ryuuji went on – he slowly moved his face from Isa’s ear, down to his neck, then shoulder, pausing for no more than a second –

Smelt faintly of rust and dirt, but mostly smelt like sweat. Not an unpleasant smell.

“...did you just smell me?”

Ryuuji didn’t answer – only smiled to himself as he stepped away, satisfied.

~•~

“The two victims are high school students, Tachibana Ryou and Kisaragi Daichi.”

“And there’s a third body, you say?”

“Nakajima Shiki. Found this morning at the dock.”

Isa sat down as he opened a folder – there was a picture of a corpse lying among the grass, with a blood trail leading to it. The body was lying face down, and there was a wooden stake planted at the back of his head.

“His head was stabbed with a stake, exactly the same with the one we found in the forest.”

Ryuuji sat down next to Isa, curiously looking over his shoulder to try to look at the pictures. Mino turned to him – 

“May I ask how you two came together?”

“We…”

“We met on the way here!” Ryuuji interjected, “And I thought I’d go with him to the station, but this is quite interesting!”

Isa turned to look at Ryuuji, puzzled, because that’s obviously not the story.

“He came to my apartment,” Isa corrected – for a second he was expecting some kind of protest from Ryuuji, but there was none, so he went on – “I told him to leave because I’m going to work, but he insisted to go along with me because he wanted to talk to Tohri about something.”

Isa turned to look at Ryuuji again, who was now busy looking at the board where they had some details about each victim and a map of where the bodies were found – seems like he’d forgotten about their conversation in a matter of seconds.

_...why did he need to lie about coming to my house like that?_

Mino cleared his throat, forcing Isa to turn his attention back to him.

“We found some interesting things about the first corpse,” Mino explained while taking out more papers, “It seems like his liver was removed, but placed back. Remember that the body was sewn back?”

Isa gave a nod.

“Forensics determined the holes was made from hooks,” Mino said, “The kind for hanging meat at a butcher shop, judging from the diameter of it.”

“So why would that body need to be sewn back…?”

Isa was now staring at the ground blankly, deep in thought. Ryuuji turned to observe him –

“Maybe it’s like sewing a doll,” Isa muttered to himself, “If a doll’s body is torn, you sew it up because you don’t want the insides to spill out…

“But the killer’s putting the liver back and closing it up… maybe something was wrong with it. Especially since both the liver and heart of the second body is removed…”

_But what would I do with the liver so that I need it in pristine condition?_

_I don’t think the organs are being sold, since there are other body parts that can be taken away too in that case. The cornea of the eyes, for example…_

_...perhaps trying to hide whatever’s wrong with the liver?_

 

“If it interests you, the victim does have hepatitis.”

“So he put it back where it belongs, and tries to close the body, to hide the flaw,” Isa concluded, “But it still confuses me why he would need to take the liver and heart out…”

_Think, Isa. Aside from medical purposes, what would people need good organs for…?_

Ryuuji only watched quietly from his seat – Isa was deep in his thoughts, staring at the wall behind Mino blankly.

“This is quite interesting,” Ryuuji remarked, breaking the silence –

“Of course, I can’t really tell what’s going on in your mind, but I think it’s absolutely fascinating that you can feel and understand so much from someone else’s perspective.”

“We all have that capacity,” Isa replied, “Or else they call you a psychopath or something.”

“I’ve never seen anyone with so much empathy like you,” Ryuuji said, “It’s almost as if you can put yourself in anyone’s shoes. In the killer’s, the victim’s, or maybe even your uncle or me.”

“Oh, shut up,” Isa sighed as he stood up, “You’re exaggerating things, doctor.”

~•~

“For some reason, the body isn’t tampered with in this one.”

Policemen were lurking about around, busy placing the police line around the dock. There was nobody there to start with, except a few birds who had flown away once they saw humans coming.

There was a small office near the bay – it looked more like a shack, but it seemed well-kept. The grass around it was short, the windows were clean, and the door was locked.

 

Tohri yanked open the blanket, uncovering the body –

It looked perfectly fine from the front, as if the person was merely asleep. Rigor mortis seemed to have set in, since their arm was still outstretched, as if trying to reach for something.

“Nakajima Shiki, is it?”

“He’s also in high school,” Tohri added – he glanced at Ryuuji, who had walked to the dock now, looking around at the waters. “None of the three victims so far go to the same school or anything.”

“The fact that the body wasn’t tampered with means the killer doesn’t want to take out his organs,” Isa said – “Maybe this decision is made after killing him…

“I wonder why, though, after he dissected the other two victims like that.”

Isa pulled the blanket back up to cover the corpse.

“Hey, Isa,” Tohri whispered, “Why is Doctor Kawara here?”

“He begged Mino to be allowed to visit the scene,” Isa replied, “Said he wanted to observe me working.”

Tohri only sighed as he shook his head – “He’s always been like that. Doing whatever the hell he wants.”

“If you hate him so much, why did you refer me to him?”

“I don’t hate him, I just said he’s weird,” Tohri corrected, “You’re weird too, Isa, and I don’t hate you.”

“I’m perfectly normal.”

Tohri could only sigh, because that, obviously, is not true.

“The owner of the boat shop is over there,” Tohri said, pointing to an old lady who was walking towards Ryuuji, “She reported the body this morning, since it was in front of the shop.”

 

“May I help you, sir?”

“Ah, good morning!” Ryuuji greeted – “I’m fine, ma’am! Just looking around at the scenery!”

“Ah, the view is quite nice at sunrise and sunset,” she said, “I’ve had kids who come here for dates and such.”

“It must be pretty romantic!”

She looked up at Ryuuji, “Are you part of the police, too, sir?”

“No, I’m just tagging along,” Ryuuji said – he spotted Isa walking towards them. “That man over there is, though!”

Isa walked over to the two of them, and bowed down to the owner.

“My name is Isa Souma, from the police department.”

“Hello,” she greeted, “Nice to meet you.”

“May I ask what your shop sells?”

“Oh, you know, just fishing baits and things,” she replied, “Sometimes I sell fish, too, after the boys catch them. They haven’t been out fishing lately because of the weather, though.”

“Do you have someone to help you?”

“Yes…” She suddenly seemed uncertain, though, and shook her head. “Actually, no, since he just quit last week.”

“Can you tell me more about your employee?”

“His name’s Fujishiro Nageki,” she explained, “He’s in high school right now, and He’s been helping me around for about two years… you know, with getting things for customers and such.”

“Why did he quit?”

“Seems like his family’s moving away,” the lady replied, “I asked where to, but he wouldn’t tell me.”

“Do you happen to know where he lives?”

“Of course,” she replied – “I have it written somewhere in my address book, but I don’t know if they’ve moved yet…”

“It’s alright,” Isa said, almost rushing – “Thank you very much, ma’am.”

 


	4. Chapter 4

A shot rang through the silent forest.

The desperate shriek of a bird was heard, followed by a soft thud as it fell onto the ground.

Two people were sitting behind the rock, and one of them had a rifle – he must’ve been the one who had fired. The older man sitting next to him was watching, and nodded proudly.

“Good job, Nageki. That there was a good shot.”

 

_When did this happen?_

 

“Now we’re going to take this bird home and cook it,” the older man said, leaping over the rock to get to the bird – its body had been shot, and was still bleeding out to the ground. Nageki stood up too, walking towards the bird.

To think that just a minute ago, the bird was still flying freely in the air – and then Nageki shot it down, and now it is no more.

The older man grabbed the bird’s feet and tied them – he then put them in a sack, with the bodies of other birds Nageki had shot earlier. It was the fourth bird of the day.

“Let’s go home now. Today was a good hunt, eh?”

 

How suddenly a life can end.

Perhaps death had always lurked among us, waiting to catch those who are unaware – coming like a thief at night.

And without caring who it is – rich or poor, kings or slaves –

Death always comes.

~•~

Nageki could see from his window that the policemen had gathered around the house.

_...they must’ve found Shiki’s corpse._

Nothing was particularly of interest – just a few policemen getting out of their cars with their guns ready, and a middle-aged man with brown hair who seemed to be their leader. There were a few other people who weren’t in uniform, too – probably the detectives…

He then spotted a blue-haired man with red eyes, stepping out of a car.

_...isn’t that..._

“Nageki!”

The voice came from downstairs.

Nageki quickly put down his book and rushed out. He was quite certain it was his mother’s panicked scream –

 

He arrived downstairs to find her lying on the ground, her neck bleeding.

Standing next to her was his father, a bloodied knife in hand.

“Mum?!”

Nageki quickly rushed to her and grabbed her neck, trying to apply pressure to slow down the bleeding –

Only he suddenly felt someone grabbing his hair from behind, forcing him to let her go. Nageki stood back up, writhing in pain as his father yanked him away from his mother.

“Nageki,” his father muttered, “Go get the rifle upstairs and load it up.”

“But…” Nageki looked at his mother, who was still holding the wound – “But mum…”

“I said go get the rifle!”

 

“Fujishiro Naoki! This is the Hachiman City Police Department! We demand to speak to your son, please let him out of the house with both hands behind his head!”

Isa pulled his gun out of its holster, getting ready should there be any confrontation. Hopefully there won’t be any, so this operation can just be over soon.

“You have one minute, or else we’re going to have to forcefully enter the house!” Mino yelled –

And then there was silence.

 

“Now you go out there, and shoot all the people you can shoot.”

Nageki felt his heart sink down to his stomach upon hearing that.

_But why?_

_What is happening? What happened to mum?_

“But dad, I can just go out peacefully and…”

“No!”

His father grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking his body.

“If you dare tell them anything about last night, I’ll kill you!”

“Dad, I’m the one responsible for what happened! I’ll just turn myself in…”

He then felt a sharp pain on his left cheek, and before he knew it, he had fallen on the floor, dropping the gun a few steps away.

“You’re useless!”

He saw his father grab his mother’s body by the arm, dragging her across the floor before he opened the door –

 

_Thirty seconds left._

The door creaked open, and all the police raised their guns –

A hand was stretched out of the door, and it threw, towards the road, a woman’s body.

 

Isa immediately put his gun back and rushed towards her.

Her neck had been slit with a knife, bleeding out fresh blood from the arteries.

“Ma’am, can you hear me?” Isa asked, pressing his hands around the wound to try to stop the bleeding –

But there was no response.

The woman’s eyes were wide open, staring blankly to the sky –

Dead.

 

“Why won’t you listen to me?”

Nageki could feel his father’s hand once again grabbing his hair, forcing him to sit and look up at him –

He could only watch as his father raised the bloodied dagger in his hand –

 

Isa stood by the door, the gun ready in his hand.

He could hear some signs of struggle earlier, but now it was just silent.

That’s worrying – because it could mean whoever was struggling is now dead.

 

He could feel the cold metal slicing through his neck, and then warmth as blood started spilling out of his body.

His father’s grip loosened, and Nageki fell onto the floor.

He could feel his consciousness slipping away as the blood drained from his body.

Everything was starting to blur – his body was losing its sensations, and everything started to feel distant.

He could still see his father grab the rifle, running towards the door –

 

He heard the door click open, and then a bang.

 

It was a split second decision – almost as if he had no control over it.

When Isa saw the man rushing towards him with the knife, his hand almost automatically pulled the trigger – 

– there was a bang, and the man fell to the ground. Isa had shot his right leg – 

The man fell on his knees, but immediately got back up, once again lunging towards Isa with his knife and slightly scratching him by the arm – Isa caught him, pushed him towards the wall, and shot again.

It landed on his chest this time.

The man let out a shriek as he collapsed to the floor, clutching his chest –

For some reason, Isa felt compelled to continue –

He shot again,

And again,

And again, as if he had to, even though the man was clearly dead.

Isa couldn’t understand why, either.

 

Was it fear that the man may get up and try to attack him again?

Or was it just a whim?

 

“Can you hear me?!”

Isa snapped back into reality as he heard Ryuuji’s voice – he was now tending to Nageki, who was still lying on the ground and bleeding out of his neck. Ryuuji quickly took off his suit, wrapping it around Nageki’s neck as some sort of bandage.

Some medics rushed into the house from behind Isa with a stretcher, and quickly placed Nageki on there and rushed back out to the ambulance.

Isa turned to look at the body collapsed on the floor – 

He had fallen against the wall, the knife still in his hand, and blood still flowing out of his body. There were at least four bullet holes in his body – one in his leg, one in his chest, another one in his abdomen, and…

 

“Isa?”

Ryuuji was suddenly standing next to him, holding his hand – Isa noticed now that his whole body had been trembling, and he was still holding his gun tightly, even if it’s empty now.

In face of all this chaos, all this blood – it seemed as if Ryuuji was the only one unaffected by it.

“You alright?” Ryuuji asked, “You look pale.”

“I’m… I’m fine.”

 

It felt strange.

Fujishiro Naoki was dead now, thanks to him –

Should he feel guilt that another life had been taken away?

Or should he feel relief, now that his child will be safe with the police?

 

“...I’m fine.”

Isa let out a sigh as he shook his head –

He seemed shaken, but he certainly was trying to hide it, trying to shrug it off. Ryuuji could tell just from his horror-stricken eyes.

_...but perhaps it’s not important right now._

 

“You’re hurt too,” Ryuuji said, pointing at Isa’s arm, where he had been slashed – “Let’s get your wound dressed first, shall we?”

~•~

Nageki woke up to find himself in a strange place.

It was very quiet and bright, and the smell of antiseptics lingered in the air. He slowly turned his head, and found that he was in a white room, with nothing but a chair next to him –

He then noticed a few packages of liquid hung just next to the bed, with a small pipe leading into his arm.

_...I’m in the hospital._

 

It was all coming back to him now.

He could remember his father, stabbing the knife towards his knife –

The loud gunshot before everything faded away.

Even now, his head was still throbbing, and he could feel pain in his arm – must’ve been because of the IV needles.

 

The door clicked open, and a familiar figure walked in –

The blue haired man with red eyes.

 

“Ah, you’ve come to! That’s good!”

“Thank you.”

Ryuuji sat down on the chair before he turned to Nageki again.

“Are you feeling dizzy or pain anywhere? You lost a lot of blood.”

“My head hurts a little, but I think it’ll be fine.”

Ryuuji nodded, “Probably because of all the lost blood. I’m sure you’ll be fine – you’re still young, after all!”

 

“My father…”

Ryuuji turned to Nageki, his eyes suddenly solemn, before he sighed and looked away –

Nageki understood.

 

Silence took over for a while as Nageki kept looking at Ryuuji –

He was certain, for some reason, that he’d seen this man before. As far as he was concerned, Ryuuji isn’t someone related to his school, or else he’d immediately recognize him –

Ryuuji seemed to notice that Nageki was staring at him, and smiled nervously.

“What’s wrong, Nageki? Do you want anything from me?”

“Nothing,” Nageki replied – “It’s just that I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before.”

“Oh, you certainly have,” Ryuuji confirmed, “I came to your house a few weeks ago.”

 

He remembered now.

This man and his father was talking about something in the backyard.

Nageki couldn’t quite hear what they were talking about, since he was in the house helping his mum cook –

But it must’ve been important, because his father seemed to be in deep thought for a few days afterwards.

 

“My name is Kawara Ryuuji.”

“...pleasure to meet you.”

“You should rest some more,” Ryuuji replied, gently running his hand through Nageki’s hair – “You lost a lot of blood, plus I’m sure the policemen would like to question you about things.”

Nageki nodded slightly – he was still feeling rather tired, after all –

But perhaps that’s normal, especially after coming that close to death and watching his parents get killed.

  
  
"Doctor?"

Isa entered the room to find Ryuuji sitting by the bed, watching Nageki sleep...

...no, Ryuuji was asleep in his seat as well, his hand firmly holding Nageki's.

Isa stood there watching for a few seconds, before he turned and walked out.

 


	5. Chapter 5

_“Are you alright, Nageki?”_

“I’m in the hospital. I don’t know if you can visit me or not, but there seems to be police here.”

_“I’ll try going there this afternoon.”_

“I met someone I know, but I don’t really remember meeting him before. His name is Kawara. Do you remember someone like that?”

_“Not really._

_“Anyway, the newspapers are making a big deal out of this case. Said that they found preserved organs in your dad’s basement.”_

 

It’s been a few days now.

Nageki was still sitting in his hospital room, reading whatever he could get his hands on – which, frankly, isn’t much.

Ryuuji had promised to bring him books today.

 

It was somewhat calming, finding someone who seems to know him in this situation –

Although he wasn’t too sure how Ryuuji plays into this whole scenario.

It felt as if he just appeared out of nowhere, right when Nageki needed him most – perhaps Nageki should be worried, but at this point, can he afford to be suspicious?

 

He’d also met a few other people, aside from Ryuuji.

There was Nishikikouji Tohri, who’s also a psychiatrist who works for the police. He’s always nicely dressed, and he seems pretty friendly as well.

He’d talked about the development of the case a little – mainly about the mountains of evidence they found in his father’s basement, and how they are now facing the possibility that his father might be a serial killer.

Not that Nageki knows anything about it, Ryuuji had told Tohri.

But that’s not true.

 

Ryuuji is clearly protecting him – but why?

That’s not what people usually say.

They’d usually say something like, “Go help the police and turn yourself in.”

 

And then there’s Isa Souma.

Nageki hadn’t met him in person yet, but he’d heard – that he was the one who killed his father.

Not that Nageki knew how to feel about it.

He’d been taught to feel angry – because Isa Souma had now taken away someone important to him, but…

At the end, does it matter?

His father is dead, and will probably be a wanted criminal if he was still alive.

Nothing Nageki does now, or Isa Souma does, can ever change that.

 

“Hey there, Nageki!”

The door swung open and Ryuuji walked into the room, holding a few books in his hands. Walking behind him was a brown-haired young man Nageki had never met before –

He looked up, his eyes meeting Nageki’s for a second – only he immediately turned to look away, as if in regret.

“I brought you some books! I’m not sure which one you’d like…”

Ryuuji sat down on his usual seat, placing the books on the bed for Nageki to see. They were mostly classics – _In Cold Blood, Macbeth,_ and a few other things…

Nageki looked up at the stranger, who was now standing behind Ryuuji, looking down at the floor. He seemed rather nervous to actually talk, or even look at Nageki.

Ryuuji seemed to notice this, and turned to look at the stranger, before turning to Nageki again.

“Have you two met before?”

Nageki shook his head.

“This is…”

“I’m Isa Souma,” Isa cut in, still looking down at the ground, too afraid to look at Nageki – “I’m… I’m sorry I killed your father.”

 

Silence took over for a second.

The atmosphere was almost choking in that moment – Nageki could only stare at Isa in shock, while Isa looked down at the ground, his hands trembling.

 

“...it’s alright.”

Why Nageki had said that, he doesn’t know –

But he certainly wasn’t angry or anything, either.

 

Yes, he was sad about this sudden tragedy, and slightly worried about what will happen next – 

But not like the past can change anymore.

 

“You had to do it because my dad was trying to kill you, yeah?”

Nageki offered his hand towards Isa, trying his best to give a smile. Isa looked up to him, hesitant at first – but he finally gathered the courage to look at Nageki’s face.

“I’m… I’m really sorry that…”

“Don’t worry about it. Now that I know what he’s really done… maybe it’s better for everyone that he’s gone.”

 

“Well then!”

Ryuuji proudly placed a hand on each of their shoulders, smiling ear to ear.

“I’m glad that reconciliation went well!” He exclaimed, “It’s important, especially if you two are going to work together in this case!”

Isa and Nageki both turned to look at Ryuuji for a second, slightly confused – but then Isa only sighed as he looked away.

“You’ll be released from the hospital in a few days,” Isa explained to Nageki, “And you’ll need a guardian.”

“I’ll be alright,” Nageki said, despite knowing that is probably not true – “I can live with a friend.”

“Doctor Kawara here has offered himself to be your guardian.”

Nageki turned to Ryuuji, confused – but Ryuuji was smiling, nodding proudly.

Perhaps he was the only option that made sense – he somewhat knew Nageki, although Nageki wasn’t sure Isa was aware of this, and he seems capable of taking care of a teenager.

“Don’t worry, Nageki! I have a big house, and you’ll have your own room!” Ryuuji said, “Oh, and I have a lot of books in my office! Isa can testify to this!”

Isa only gave a nod – he seemed tired of Ryuuji’s whims.

“But you know, you’ll be living alone with him in…” Isa sighed, “I don’t know. I’ve never been to his house.”

“Ehh? Isa, you’re making me sound like a…”

“You _are_ a creep,” Isa replied, “I’d be scared to live with you alone.”

 

Perhaps it would be alright.

Isa had ground on his suspicion – but Ryuuji doesn’t seem like a bad person.

Well, maybe that will be proven wrong later, but for now, Nageki doesn’t want to be put in prison or anything.

 

“...still, doctor, why are you so kind to me?”

“I certainly can’t leave a kid like you alone in this mess, can I?” Ryuuji replied with a smile – 

 

Felt as if that wasn’t the only reason, but not like Nageki had any reason not to accept Ryuuji’s kindness.

  



	6. Chapter 6

And so Isa found himself once again sitting in front of Ryuuji’s desk, in his office.

Ryuuji was standing just a few steps behind him, making some tea. He was humming a song while carefully choosing some teabags from a box, and picked chamomile tea.

“Who is this?”

Ryuuji turned to find that Isa had took a picture frame from his desk and examining it – of course he knew what it was, that being the only picture on his desk.

It was a picture of Ryuuji and a lady, with long black hair, standing over a river. The woman was shorter than Ryuuji, and Isa would guess she was about Ryuuji’s age.

“Your wife?” Isa asked, “I never saw a ring on your hand, though. Ex-wife, maybe?”

“No, just a friend. Her name’s Yukimura Rei.” Ryuuji replied, walking over with a pot of tea. “She used to be a psychiatrist as well.”

“‘Used to’?”

“One of her patients died under… mysterious circumstances,” Ryuuji replied, sitting down next to Isa – “Never a good rep to have as a psychiatrist. The police investigated her for a while, but called it off because they couldn’t prove it.”

Isa put the picture frame back to where it was on the table before turning to Ryuuji, curious.

“So what did you think?”

“About what?”

“Her killing that patient,” Isa replied, “Do you think she really did it?”

“Of course not,” Ryuuji replied, “There must’ve been a misunderstanding. The police was never able to find anything that decisively proves she killed the patient anyway.”

 

_“Didn’t you say he was being a handful?”_

_Ryuuji put down a box on the table, smiling proudly. Rei, too, eyed the box, slightly nervous, but he could see the curiosity in her eyes._

_“Ryuuji…?”_

_“Open the box,” Ryuuji said, still smiling – “It’s a present.”_

 

_The box was small, as if it was meant for a gift card, wrapped in shiny golden paper, with a red ribbon on top of it._

_Rei continued looking at the box, slightly nervous, while turning to look at Ryuuji sometimes – but Ryuuji was smiling, cool as a cucumber –_

_“Open it.”_

_So she leaned over, taking the box – unwrapping the red ribbon, and opening it._

 

_A pair of eyes stared back at her from within the box._

_They had been… gouged out, and cleaned thoroughly. They were placed on what looked like a cushion for pearls, with the irises staring directly at whoever decided to open the box._

_The eyes were shiny, as if coated in a thin layer of glass – looked almost like a replica._

 

_She immediately closed the box and turned to Ryuuji, eyes wide with shock and horror._

_“You can do whatever you want with it,” Ryuuji said, smiling as calmly as usual, “It’s my present to you, Rei.”_

 

_“...you killed him.”_

_Rei pushed the box away, still mortified as she looked at Ryuuji._

_“This way, you don’t have to worry about him,” he said, “And…”_

_Before he could say anything else, she walked over, slapping him on the cheek._

 

_“Are you out of your mind?!”_

 

_She was crying._

_Not that he understood why._

 

_“...didn’t you tell me he was trying to blackmail you?”_

_“Yes, but that doesn’t excuse you from killing him, Ryuuji!”_

_He only watched quietly as she sank into her seat, burying her face in her hands. She turned the chair so that it was facing away from Ryuuji, but he could still see her shoulders shaking from crying –_

_“Rei, you don’t have to worry about anything.”_

_He walked over, placing a hand on her shoulder, but she quickly slapped it away._

_“Get out!”_

  


“I know for a fact she didn’t kill that patient.”

Isa was still looking at Ryuuji, as if concerned – but then he turned away and took his cup of tea.

“Anyway, enough of her,” Ryuuji said, “Let’s talk about you.”

 

Ryuuji flipped open his notebook, taking out a pen from his pocket. Isa sipped some tea while watching him, then put back his cup.

“There’s nothing particularly interesting about me, really.”

“What may seem normal to you may not seem normal to others,” Ryuuji said, “Like reading the Divine Comedy at fourth grade.”

Isa let out a soft grunt, quietly regretting his decision to have told Ryuuji that.

“You seem to have very high sense of empathy,” Ryuuji remarked – “Isn’t that what you do for the police? Empathizing for the murderer, trying to find his motives?”

“It’s called imagination.”

“Imagination aids empathy, you know.”

Isa sighed, “I like to think of it as interpreting the evidence, you know. I look at the evidence, try to make sense of what the killer could be thinking at the time.”

Ryuuji jotted down some things in the notebook while nodding in agreement.

“How do you convince yourself you’re not the killer, then?” Ryuuji asked, “How do you distinguish between reality and the world in your imagination?”

“Isn’t it common sense?” Isa sighed, “What we can see, hear, and touch is always real. If you can remember what happens leading to the situation in front of you, then it’s most likely real.”

“It’s really interesting to think about how easily we accept the things we see as the truth,” Ryuuji said – “Or even things we don’t see. Things as vague as God, or how science works, what’s out there among the stars – whether or not we can see them, it is the truth.”

“We can’t really base everything on empirical evidence, can we?” Isa sighed, “It’s a tool to help us know the world, but they are merely evidence, the basis from which we derive our knowledge.”

 

“By the way, are you busy tonight?

“I’m taking Nageki home, so I thought it’d be nice to host a dinner. Like a housewarming party.”

~•~

“Here we go!”

Nageki entered the house, as Ryuuji closed the door behind them. He put down the shopping bags on the floor – full of new clothes and other supplies for Nageki – as Nageki walked into the house.

It was bigger than his house, and looked somewhat like houses in movies. He could see the dining room on his left, and what looked like an office on his right. The dining room was lavishly decorated, with a long oak table and a vase of roses in the middle. The stairs to the second floor was located right in front of him, and he could see that the walls along the stairs had many paintings. Nageki couldn’t help but wonder how rich Ryuuji was – 

“Let me show you your room!” Ryuuji said, while carrying the bags upstairs – Nageki gave a nod, and followed him.

Nageki’s room was the first door to the right, and apparently Ryuuji’s was right next to it. It was quite simple – a few bookshelves that held some old books, a desk, and a bed.

Ryuuji put down the bags by the bed, and turned to Nageki with a smile.

“Alright! Isa is downstairs preparing the food, so let’s not keep him waiting!”

“...Isa is here?”

“I told him we’re having a housewarming party, and he offered to help, you see!” Ryuuji said while walking back out, followed by Nageki – “He’s just setting up the table and such, but I’ll be the one cooking!

“But you like the house so far, don’t you, Nageki?”

Nageki gave a nod.

“Thank you for your kindness, Doctor Kawara.”

“Don’t worry! I’m just trying my best to help!” Ryuuji said, “Also, since we’ll be living together from now on, you really don’t need to be so formal with me! Just call me Ryuuji!”

“But… since you’re older than me, that’s not really appropriate – ”

“Or you can call me dad, or papa!” Ryuuji gave a nod, as if pleased with himself. “I mean, I don’t really have anyone to call me that, so it’s alright!”

“You’re not married, doctor…” Nageki paused, “I… I mean, Ryuuji?”

“No... the girl I liked doesn’t want to marry me.”

Seemed strange to Nageki that such a kind, caring man, would be unmarried, but who is he to judge?

“So here we go! The food everyone’s been waiting for!”

Ryuuji put down a plate in front of Nageki – there was a big lump of roasted bird, with a dollop of cream and some greens on the side. It smelt good – like lemons and cloves.

“Clay roasted chukar, stuffed with bacon and bell peppers!”

Isa seemed rather nervous, but also curious as Ryuuji put down a plate in front of him. Ryuuji quickly rushed back to the kitchen to get another plate for himself before joining them at the table.

“...I’m not sure I want to eat this.”

“Ehh?” Ryuuji turned to Isa, surprised, “Don’t worry, Isa! They’re fresh from the market!”

“Chukar is a type of bird, isn’t it?” Isa asked, “I’m not sure I’ve ever eaten anything other than chicken and turkey, so…”

“Then that’s even more reason for you to eat it! We have to try doing new things, Isa!” Ryuuji turned to Nageki, “Besides, I’m pretty sure Nageki has hunted and eaten birds a few times, yeah?”

“They taste pretty good, Mr. Isa,” Nageki chimed in, “Slightly softer than chicken, and a bit sweeter, too.”

Isa turned to Nageki, slightly surprised, before turning to pick up his fork and knife to cut into the partridge. Ryuuji smiled in anticipation as Isa fed a piece to himself –

The skin was crisp, and the meat was tender – it shredded easily, and the aroma of lemons and onions accompanied each bite. It was softer than chicken like Nageki said, but not exactly sweet – maybe because Isa never really had time to notice the taste in his foods – but it was definitely salty from the bacon.

“...not bad.”  

“See, Isa? A bit of something new can be nice as well!”

Ryuuji turned to Nageki with a smile, “You eat too, Nageki! And please try the cream… it’s cilantro and mint yogurt, just in case the partridge is too salty.”

 

_“Here’s some rabbit steak, Nageki, with the one we caught earlier.”_

_“Do you like it? I think I put a bit too much salt…”_

 

“Clay roasting is my favorite way of cooking, Isa! Since you have to put it in the spices for a long time and wait for it to fully cook, the taste really infuses into the meat, and we get really tender texture of the meat!”

 

Right – a bit of change, a bit of something new, can perhaps be nice.

Perhaps this, too, is the beginning of something interesting.

 

_Sitting together to eat dinner like this…_

_...no, I can’t go back to those times anymore._

_Perhaps… perhaps they, too, can be my family._

 

_Everything will surely be alright after this._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the 'i tried' chapter  
> in case you haven't read the spy au rei is ryuuji's wife but they're just. not married in this one  
> also i know jack shit about cooking. i know baking. not cooking. so it's just me trying to imagine eating isa  
> eating isa............  
> i also have not seen hannibal and doesn't know what the sessions are like so. please tell me how it is....


	7. Chapter 7

Felt so peaceful at night when nobody is around. 

Isa was walking down the pavement, holding a leash tightly in his hands – there were four cats tied to it, trotting along casually – they have enhanced vision in the dark, after all. 

The road was empty – somewhat unusual, but not something Isa would complain about. It’s much quieter this way, after all – 

Just him and the cats, walking in the darkness, listening to the sound of crickets and the soft pitter patter of nocturnal animals. Much better compared to the honking of cars and the low murmur of the crowd during the day –

Felt like he was blending into his surroundings – even if he was the only one out at this hour. 

 

Some people find it relaxing to take a walk in the forest at night, so what difference will it make, compared to walking in the city at night?

The streetlights were all still on – the traffic lights too, still changed from red to green every few seconds, although there was pretty much no car on the road. The buildings were all closed, with their lights off, ominously standing around him.

Felt like walking through the catacombs, where everything is dark and silent –

And yet there was a strange, inexplicable feeling of relaxation. 

 

He could hear the gentle lapping of water somewhere in the distance, and the gentle pitter patter of the raindrops hitting the pavement.

And yet as he looked up to the sky, nothing had changed – 

Still the same dark night sky, without any stars or clouds at all.

 

“Mr. Isa?”

Isa quickly turned around, upon hearing his name be called – 

A few metres behind him was a police car, with the sirens turned off – the driver waved towards Isa, and the cats meowed at her in return. 

“...good evening, Azami.”

“Is everything alright, sir?” she asked, seemingly concerned – “It’s like, two AM, and you’re out in town with your cats in your pajamas.”

Only then did Isa look down to check himself, and she was right – he was wearing the purple pajamas he went to bed with, and some flip flops. Lucky he still remembered to wear his glasses, or else he would’ve bumped into at least five streetlights –

 

Why would he be out at town, with his cats, at two in the morning, wearing nothing but his pajamas – what was he thinking when he walked out of the apartment?

Was it some sort of sophisticated sleepwalking, or just an impulsive thought?

Isa couldn’t even remember getting his cats on the leash, or even leaving the house – 

He immediately checked his pockets to see if he had brought the keys with him, only to be struck by the realization that he couldn’t remember whether he locked the door either. 

 

As if he was suddenly put in the middle of the night. 

 

He turned to look at his cats – all of them stared back at him, as if confused, then meowed softly. One of them seemed to be trembling from the cold – the air was indeed quite chilly. 

 

“Come in, sir, I’ll drive you home,” Azami offered while getting out of the car – “Rabu is still patrolling, and it’s not like your apartment is far from here.”

~•~

“Why are you here?”

Ryuuji didn’t reply – only smiled cheerfully as he walked next to Isa, keeping his eyes on the road. 

Isa sipped some of his coffee – he felt inexplicably tired, although he could remember going to bed early –

Think about it, a few strange things have happened in the morning – like four of his cats being very soundly asleep when they usually would be meowing for food, and Azami asking him if everything was alright –

_ I mean, surely everything is fine.  _

_ She usually just says hi, or sometimes not. I wonder why? _

“What about Nageki? Isn’t she scared, being alone in your house?”

“Ohh, Tohri’s there with her,” Ryuuji replied – “He offered to stay with her while also asking a few questions, so I figured I should come out here with you!”

“...you sure don’t have that many patients, huh?”

“Ehhh?!” Ryuuji stopped, turning to Isa – “That’s rude, Isa! I have so many patients waiting for my attention!”

“Then quit following me around and go give them some attention instead,” Isa sighed, “You’re too worried about me. I’ll be fine.”

“I will! I’ll leave after lunch,” Ryuuji replied – “It’s just so fun to see you work, you know, Isa!”

“Fun…?”

Well, everything does seem to become normal after a period of time. 

Perhaps Ryuuji was right about things looking normal to someone but not to others. 

“Mr. Isa Souma!”

Isa quickly turned around upon hearing someone call his name – it was a voice he couldn’t recognize. 

A young man hurriedly made his way past the other officers, clearly trying to get to Isa. He had a notebook in his hands, and what seemed like a recorder –

“Shit, it’s one of those pesky journalists,” Isa sighed, grabbing Ryuuji’s arm – “Quick, let’s get out of here.”

“Ohh, you have paparazzis following you too, Isa?” Ryuuji asked, “Then let’s be nice to them! It might be fun!”

“No, it’s not going to be fun at all – they always ask too much,” Isa said – only to feel a hand grabbing his shoulder. 

The young man was now standing behind him, panting heavily from all the running – but he was smiling enthusiastically still. He had light blue hair with bangs so long he had to use paperclips, and yellow glasses – he was also slightly taller than Isa, but not as tall as Ryuuji. 

“Hello! My name is Sakazaki Yuuya, from the – ”

“I don’t have time,” Isa replied coldly, “There’s a murder I need to investigate.”

“Ehh, Isa? Let’s not be so mean to the…”

“This can wait, Ryuuji,” Isa sighed, dragging him away from Yuuya – “Mino’s waiting for me at the scene.”

“Wait, wait! Mr. Isa Souma!” 

Yuuya persistently went after them, holding the recorder towards Isa –

“I just want to ask about Fujishiro Nageki!” Yuuya shouted, “Do you not feel bad about killing his father?”

Isa suddenly stopped walking, and turned to Yuuya. 

“Yes, I do,” Isa replied, his tone suddenly solemn – “Is that good enough for you?”

“So he’s under police custody now?” Yuuya went on, “Do you think he could’ve been involved in the murders?”

“We don’t know about that yet, and even if I do know something about it, I won’t tell you,” Isa replied, “His life is messed up enough without you shitty journalists trying to get a story by forcing her to remember.”

“Also,” Ryuuji cut in, “He’s actually under my custody – ”

“Shut up, Ryuuji.”

Isa turned to glare at Ryuuji, his eyes suddenly furious – Ryuuji could only nod nervously, before looking away and pretending to whistle a song. 

“How far are you into the investiga–”

“I refuse to continue this conversation.”

Isa sighed as he once again grabbed Ryuuji’s arm, and dragged him away from Yuuya. Yuuya only watched them leave while shutting off his recorder –

“Think about it, Mr. Isa Souma,” Yuuya said, “Aren’t you employed by the police force to imagine the murderer’s motives?

“Doesn’t that… make you a psychopath as well?”

Isa stopped walking upon hearing the question, before he turned to look at Yuuya for a second –

But he said nothing anyway, and continued walking. 

~•~

Bodies hung from the ceiling, like a set of Christmas ceiling decorations.

It seemed that they were held to the ceiling using barbed wire that had been tied around their necks – their entire bodies was covered in blood, and some of them had also dripped onto the cement floor – they’re coagulated and dry now. 

From where Isa stood, it seemed as if the bodies were going to fall off at anytime – the barbed wire must’ve cut through the flesh of the necks. Maybe it’s the spine that’s still holding the head and body together at this point.

 

“A construction worker found them this morning.”

Isa walked carefully, while looking down at the ground – the blood on the ground seemed to be scattered, rather than being focused under the three bodies – 

_ Perhaps the victims were still alive, and struggling. Thus the wires can move, swinging the bodies, and the blood can scatter this way… _

_ That would also explain the flesh of their neck being cut by the wire, because there’s so much movement, plus gravity.  _

_...not that they’d still be alive if they didn’t move at all.  _

“Did you take any of them down yet?”

“Not yet.”

“What is this warehouse usually for?”

“Seems like it’s been abandoned for a few years,” Mino explained, “But right now they’re trying to fix it, so it can be used for storing containers and such. That’s why the construction worker was here.”

“From the colour of the blood, I’d say this guy has been dead for six hours…”

Isa and Mino both turned to Ryuuji, who was examining a few drops of blood on the floor. 

“This one looks a bit less black… maybe he died a few hours after?” 

Ryuuji knelt down and took out a tissue to wipe the stains – some of them were absorbed by the tissue, and it had the consistency of jelly. 

“Ryuuji, hands off the crime scene,” Isa sighed, “Or else you might be charged for tampering with the evidence.”

“Ehh?!!” Ryuuji quickly jumped away, panicked – “I… I’m sorry!”

“Don’t worry, we did take a picture,” Mino said with a sigh, “But please do be more mindful next time, doctor.”

~•~

Nageki only watched as Tohri quietly flipped through some files, as if searching for something. 

Seems like he was going to be in charge of Nageki’s care today – Ryuuji had gone out to see Isa at work, although Nageki couldn’t quite understand why that was necessary...

But not that it was a big problem.

Tohri is nice – well, Nageki doesn’t know him that well yet, but judging from the way he treated Ryuuji, he seemed quite nice. 

Tohri was really… pretty, too. Nageki couldn’t quite think of any other word to describe it –

His blonde hair was long, smooth and silky, tied into a ponytail that fell all the way down to his waist. There were some red highlights in his hair, too, and he had feathers as head decorations. He seemed to be wearing some makeup, too –

 

“So have you known Ryuuji for long, Mr. Nishikikouji?”

“Well, he was my professor for two years,” Tohri replied, “Not that I particularly liked or disliked him.”

“He seems… really nice,” Nageki said – 

They’ve only been living together for two weeks or so, and Ryuuji had spent most of his time in his office, but whenever they’re together, Ryuuji had always been warm to him. 

Asking if there was anything he might need, or if he was feeling uncomfortable being at Ryuuji’s house alone…

It does get lonely sometimes, but Nageki can just read or text his friend to kill time. 

“You think so?”

“I do,” Nageki replied, “Isa, too – I think he’s a really kind person inside.”

“That’s quite strange coming from you,” Tohri remarked, “Especially since he was the one who killed your father.”

“He simply had no other choice,” Nageki replied, “I mean, it’s thanks to him and Ryuuji as well that I’m still alive…

“I sure hope… I can get along with them.”

~•~

Isa slowly walked over to one of the corpses that had been taken down – 

Their faces had all been destroyed – they had been burnt and smashed beyond recognition. Their necks had been slashed badly by the barbed wires, and the blood was all over their bodies –

 

Seems like they were hung and burnt alive. 

He didn’t want to see their faces as he killed them – because it was going to be disgusting. 

Their faces as they twist and shout in agony, as they die. 

They don’t deserve mercy – for some reason, Isa wanted to detach himself from them, from the guilt. 

At least this way Isa wouldn’t have to look at them in the eye as he killed them. 

 

But killing isn’t enough.

He wanted them to suffer, to feel the excruciating pain and remember it as they depart from this world. 

What horrible deed had they done, that they deserved to die like this?

 

“The killer wanted to show his work.”

Isa looked up at the other corpses that were still hanging by the ceiling – 

_ Place them hanging on the ceiling, as a warning. _

_ So that anyone who sees this knows what they must not do, so as to avoid this fate.  _

_ Show them that this fate can befall just about anyone.  _

_ Memento mori – remember that one day, you too, will die. _


	8. Chapter 8

“Thanks a ton for your help, Tohri!”

“Don’t sweat it,” Tohri said with a sigh, “How’s Isa doing?”

“He’s investigating the bodies we just found this morning, of course!” Ryuuji replied as he took off his coat and hung it on the rack – “He’s going to see me again tomorrow – there’s something I want to confirm.

“Where’s Nageki?”

“Reading in his room,” Tohri replied as he walked out of the door, “See you tomorrow.”

“You didn’t question him too hard, did you? He might be too stressed if we force him to remember stuff.”

“I sure hope so,” Tohri said with a shrug, “He seems to be doing alright by my standards.”

 

Ryuuji walked into Nageki’s bedroom to see him sitting by the bed reading – just as Tohri had told him. Nageki immediately looked up upon hearing someone enter the door – 

“Hey! Didn’t mean to interrupt your reading,” Ryuuji said with a smile – “I’ll be having a few patients soon, so you can do whatever you want! You did eat lunch, didn’t you?”

Nageki gave a nod. Ryuuji nodded back, pleased – 

Nageki had been really nice, compared to Ryuuji’s expectations. Maybe because Nageki was still a teenager, Ryuuji had expected him to ask for a lot of things… but he’d mostly been reading and watching TV. 

“Alright, I guess I’ll just leave you to your – ”

“Ryuuji.”

Ryuuji stopped before closing the door, popping his head back in. 

“What is it, Nageki?”

“...why did you lie to them?”

 

_ “Do you remember anyone to whom your father could have talked about these killings?” _

_ “Not really,” Nageki replied, “My father… doesn’t have a lot of friends, unless they’re fellow hunters.” _

_ “You see, Nageki, we’re trying to understand how it went from hunting animals for food to hunting humans,” Tohri sighed, “Plus, your father is actually eating the organs of the victims, and not just hunting them down for fun. _

_ “Do you know anyone among his friends who may have, well… influenced his thinking?” _

 

“Back then when you visited our house and talked with dad… what was it all about?”

“Nothing that important, really!” Ryuuji replied as he walked into the room – “He was worried about you not having that many social interactions, and asked me if it’s a sign of anything unusual, like antisocial behaviour, but I told him that’s just your temperament. 

“Besides, you do have friends!” Ryuuji said, “I’ve seen you texting a few times – it is to a friend, yeah?”

Nageki gave a nod. 

Just one, actually – not that the rest of his friends at school hadn’t contacted him, but he just didn’t bother replying to them...

“...there’s also something I’ve been thinking about.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“I… may or may not be an accomplice in my father’s killings.”

 

Ryuuji’s face suddenly turned solemn upon hearing that – Nageki could only look away nervously. 

_ Maybe I shouldn’t have told him… _

_ But I wanted to be honest, too – about who he might be sheltering. _

_ He’s taken me in with a sincere heart, thinking that I’ve been innocent and had simply got caught up in this mess, but if I really am not, then he probably shouldn’t have anything to do with me… _

 

“...did you tell Tohri?”

“Not yet,” Nageki replied, “For some reason, I don’t… remember it well, but…

“I went to the forest with Ryou, the night he died, and…”

 

And then a shadow came out from behind the trees. 

Catching the other boy, and dragging him into the darkness –

He screamed for help, frantically calling out to Nageki –

And Nageki, too, understood, that his friend was going to die. 

Nageki only stood still, saying nothing. 

 

“I want to be helpful to the investigation,” Nageki said, “And right now, I can’t remember much, but…”

“It’s alright.”

Before he knew it, Ryuuji was sitting next to him, holding him tight in his arms. 

“It’s normal to be in a shock, after all this discovery,” Ryuuji said, “And you might mistakenly remember some things, especially those that don’t have an explanation – 

“Like, ‘how could I have let such a thing happen? Why wasn’t I aware of it?’ And as a result, you start thinking up of explanations, whether or not they are true. Distortion in memory – it happens a lot.”

Ryuuji gently ran his hand through Nageki’s hair, and kissed him on the forehead. 

“I think you might need a break from all this constant investigation,” Ryuuji said, “Should I arrange for a trip?”

“I’m fine, really,” Nageki replied, “I just… want to know the truth. So, Ryuuji, if you can help me remember – ”

“It’ll come to you eventually,” Ryuuji said with a smile, “I don’t want to force you to remember – that’s just going to cause you a lot of distress, alright?”

Nageki could only watch as Ryuuji got up from the bed. 

“I’ll tell Tohri to stop the questioning, and then let’s see what I can do.”

~•~

Everything had felt a lot more blurry than usual. 

“It seems like the three victims were totally unrelated,” Mino explained, “One is an unemployed man, then we have a college student and a postman.”

“It’s… almost as if he’s taking anyone he could get.”

Mino gave a nod. 

“I’m still wondering why their bodies needed to be hung on the wall,” Isa said while looking down at the corpse –

Upon closer look, the body had been cut up, and perfectly stitched back, medical sutures and all. There was still a bit of blood seen thru the clothing –

“Seems like a medical expert – he’d need to have access to medical equipment, especially those sutures.”

“Maybe the organs are for sale?”

“Think about it, there was that body that was stitched up with yarn,” Isa said, “We never did know if Fujishiro did that one, yeah? It was easy for the other two, since they died in the same manner, but not that first body… 

“Could it be the same killer, trying to tell us that he’s still out there?”

 

_ Yes, that must be it _ , Isa thought as he looked up at the other two corpses – 

A warning, that the killer, is still active – that despite their best efforts, Fujishiro Naoki isn’t the only killer. 

 

Perhaps even like a challenge. 

 

“It’s almost like in the books, isn’t it? A heartless killer who goes around town, killing those who are careless, simply because they can…”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'M TRYING it will get exciting soon dw


	9. Chapter 9

_ “...hello?” _

“Hello, Rei. How have you been?”

_ “Ahh, Ryuuji! It’s been a while since you called! I’ve been doing well, how are things at your end?” _

“They have been… interesting, alright.”

_ “What do you mean?” _

“I picked up a kid recently – his name’s Fujishiro Nageki. He’s been a really good kid, though.”

_ “It’s unlike you to go around adopting children.” _

“Well, I knew his father, so I can’t just leave him in distress.”

_ “...I see. How are your patients?” _

“Yeah, that’s what I’m really calling you about… There’s this young man called Isa Souma. He works with the police.”

_ “What does he need your help for?” _

“He’s got… great empathy, Rei. The policemen are using him to try to get into the minds of the murderers, to try to find their motives.”

_ “Sounds cool, but stressful as well… Is he seeing you for stress management?” _

“Sort of – but I think there might be more to him, and how he got to have this great… empathy.

“Do you think he’ll be able to understand me, too?”

_ “...perhaps.” _

“It’s just that I’ve never seen the likes of him – it’s so interesting!”

_ “You sound happy about this.” _

“I’m trying to get his attention now, Rei – maybe, finally… I can find someone who understands...

“That thrill, that satisfaction when you kill someone.”

  
  


“You look somewhat pale, Isa.”

Isa had sunk onto the chair in front of Ryuuji’s desk, eyes blankly staring at the ceiling. He seemed to be deep in thought – no, rather, he seemed lost in his thoughts.

“Isa?”

Isa finally turned to look at Ryuuji as he felt his hand on his shoulder – Ryuuji walked past him, placing a tray of tea and cookies on the table.

“You seem out of it today.”

“Am I…” Isa took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, “I… haven’t been sleeping well, that’s all.”

“Are you sure? Should I prescribe you some sleeping pills?”

“...I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.”

 

“By the way, I’m thinking Nageki might need a break from the investigation.”

Isa turned to look at Ryuuji for a second, before turning away again.

“He said he wants to visit his cousin in Kyoto,” Ryuuji explained while taking a cookie – “You think you might be able to take him there?”

“...why don’t you take him there?”

“My schedule is full for the next two weeks.”

Ryuuji could hear Isa sigh before saying, “Alright.”

“Thanks a lot, Isa! I’m sure Nageki would appreciate it!”

 

The air felt heavy, for some reason. 

Isa badly wanted to sleep, but at the same time, felt it necessary to stay awake. 

 

“How did the investigation go yesterday?”

“It was… alright,” Isa replied, “We haven’t… found anything that can point us towards the profile yet, and everyone’s just worried.”

“Seems like the killer has done this quite a few times, yeah?”

“He seems… to know how do it well,” Isa replied, “So I was thinking, maybe that kid’s body that was really badly sewn is just an imitation… and he’s out to get the impostor.

“But at the same time, he’s killing anyone he can find… maybe just to show how powerful he is, and challenging the police to catch him.”

“I’m sure you’ll find him,” Ryuuji said, pouring some tea for Isa – “There’s no such thing as a perfect crime.”

 

“Still, thinking further about it, the faces of the victims have been destroyed. Our identification so far really comes from matching some missing persons report, and we’re not even quite sure about the college student… But forensics found that their faces were destroyed before they were killed, rather than after. Their cause of death hasn’t really been determined, but there was no anesthetic or sorts in their blood, so they may well have been cut alive – ”

Isa held down the young man on the table, the scalpel in his hand –

The man was screaming from the pain of his face being burnt, but Isa couldn’t care less. There will be more pain to come, after all –

It sure was wise to destroy his face first, because now Isa wouldn’t need to see that face twist and writhe in agony. 

He carefully sliced open his body, starting from the chest, cutting deep enough until it bleeds, and down to his abdomen. 

The man was still screaming, but for some reason, he wasn’t moving. Maybe there was a rope holding him to the table –

Isa continued ruthlessly, making incisions to expose the entire torso –

Before he reached in his hand, onto that beating hard, and cut it off. 

 

Blood splattered onto the table, onto the floor – warm and wet, and yet eerie –

The man stopped struggling, his lifeline now cut away, and fell limp on the table. 

Isa held the heart in his hands, still beating, still pumping fresh blood. It would die away soon, after all the blood supply runs out. 

The air felt cold against his skin, and yet the blood felt warm. 

Isa pried out the liver and intestines, feeling all the sticky blood, the slimy feeling of the tissues –

 

Felt so satisfying, for some reason, to break apart a human and find how disgusting they are inside. 

 

“...Isa?”

Isa snapped out of his mind and turned to Ryuuji, who was now sitting next to him, cupping his cheeks.

“Can you hear me? Is everything alright?”

“I… yes…”

Isa shakily raised his hand to touch Ryuuji’s –

Felt warm against his skin, felt tender and... alive. 

 

“It’s almost like…” Isa sighed, “I don’t know.”

Ryuuji could feel Isa’s grip around his fingers tightened, although Isa was still trembling –

 

The bodies, hanging ominously on the ceiling, like broken Christmas decorations. 

Isa was standing under them, looking at the bodies swaying along with the wind –

Some warm blood was still dripping from the bodies, onto the floor – onto Isa’s face. 

Like a blood rain, perhaps. 

 

“I was just wondering… how it feels like, to kill someone.”

“Well, you killed someone,” Ryuuji said, “You killed Nageki’s father – how did it feel like then?”

  
  


_ Right, there was that, as well, but… _

“...it’s different. I killed him out of necessity – because I thought Nageki was going to die, but… these people were killed for no reason at all.

“Or perhaps… because the killer does have a necessity to kill them?”

“Isa, calm down,” Ryuuji whispered, gently caressing Isa’s cheeks – “Don’t think too much into it.”

 

Perhaps, a need to feel alive.

Only when deprived of something do you feel its significance. 

 

“Why don’t we do this,” Ryuuji suggested, “Close your eyes.”

So Isa did – letting the darkness take over. 

 

He could feel the warmth of Ryuuji’s hand moving from his cheeks, now to hold his hands. 

 

“Picture yourself… somewhere you love, Isa. Somewhere peaceful.”

“...the sea.”

 

A dark night by the beach – 

The sky was dark, save a few stars that seemed like cracks in a dark vase.

Isa loved the sea, for some reason. Perhaps because he used to live near the sea as a child, and visited it a lot – 

...almost drowned there a few times too, but that was no longer a problem once he learnt to swim.

The water felt warm around his fingers – 

Warm and thick, and dark. 

Isa knelt down and splashed some water to his face, feeling the wetness, the warmth. 

_ Like blood from the man, that splashed onto him. _

 

There was once a legend about an empty boat that came ashore a beach. 

From the boat came a princess, holding a box. 

For some reason, she wouldn’t let anyone have it – and so a wise old man from the village speculated, that kept within the box is her lover’s head.

 

And then from the waters came out a hand, 

Pulling him into the water.

 

The warmth and darkness enveloped him, like a chrysalis.

Floating around aimlessly in the darkness.

 

Something felt peaceful about it, indeed.

~•~

 

**Author's Note:**

> SO ahem   
> idk how closely this will follow the original story but if it does, it'll follow the TV series story...  
> (Ryuuji is coming everyone) daddy is coming don't worry about it


End file.
